If you see a small brown creature hopping along in your yard this autumn and instantly think 'RAT', it might do well to think again - it could be an antechinus.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
These native cousins of Tasmanian devils, quolls and bandicoots are actually a boon to our gardens. Being carnivorous, they eat a lot of insects which do damage to crops and plantings, and will even eat baby mice if they can get at them.
However, that doesn't help them when ignorant homeowners assume they are a pest and try to kill them.
Agile and amazingly good climbers, antechinus - the Greek name means 'not a hedgehog' - were once called marsupial mice, and while they have a rodent-like shape, they are marsupials. This means they carry their young in a pouch, although in the antechinus the 'pouch' is more a a flap of skin. Their long noses, which give a shrew-like appearance, help them delve into spaces where food might be found.
There are many antechinus about at present as the spring litters mature and hunt for food to prepare for winter. Vicious and aggressive predators, the small creatures will happily hunt while being observed by humans, leaping from rocks and trees as they search for prey. They will raid bird nests, but are more likely to dispatch spiders, beetles, crickets and cockroaches.
The young learn to hunt in packs, and can be seen moving in their distinctive hopping pattern, following each other. Often they will climb trees and buildings, with seeming disdain for the laws of gravity and and striking capability for leaping distances and landing surefootedly. They will raid bird nests and the hollows which make homes for sugar gliders, and can be heard in roof spaces as they scurry about seeking prey.
The antechinus has an extraordinary mating pattern which also takes place in autumn. Famous for the short but sexually intense life of the male, which lives for just one season, dying after coitus, it involves twelve-hour mating sessions, multiple partners and torrid, aggressive sex.
All this, according to scientific studies over the past 30 years, is made possible by the male antechinus body being flooded with corticosteroids, which have the effect of giving the tiny animal enormous reserves of energy but also kill it by compromising its immune system.
At the end of their one year of life, a male antechinus can expect to die rather horribly of tumours, ulcers and weakness. But by dying after a hectic sex spree, the next generation of antechinus are guaranteed a better chance of survival by having a greater chance of finding food supplies.
Female antechinus also have a short lifespan, with very few living beyond delivering a single litter. Around Ballarat most females deliver lower numbers of offspring, usually six or seven babies. In tougher climates, where the chance of survival is lower, there will be more offspring, with females developing higher numbers of teats to feed them.
Around Ballarat and the region the two most common species are the agile antechinus and the larger yellow-footed antechinus, with the latter preferring the drier parts of the state.
If you see one in your garden, don't panic and call for the pest controller. Wait and watch. You might be observing of of Australia's most fascinating native creatures.
If you are seeing this message you are a loyal digital subscriber to The Courier, as we made this story available only to subscribers. Thank you very much for your support and allowing us to continue telling Ballarat's story. We appreciate your support of journalism in our great city.